Sand King
by Eternal Heart
Summary: 4th story in the Amber Force saga. See Everything Amber C2 for all stories.Pt. 1 When Kobe loses control and a new hero threatens to take his place, the only way out is to reveal is past.


Sand King

Pt. One

An Amber Force story

By: Eternal Heart

Special Thanks to: The guy form Bulgaria

Chapter One:

Kobe flexed his arm experimentally and flinched in pain. "Your healing is going good," Jess commented from his side. Kobe snorted, "I feel like crap," he said dryly, "I will get back at Rath for doing this to me." He said acidly. Jess sighed.

The Titans had left only a few days ago, after the attack by Rath the Amber Force needed some help getting back on their feet. That's exactly what the Titans had done, now things had almost returned to normal…apart from the scars.

In the fight, Rath had blinded Zan completely. Now Zan had trouble getting around, his temper was short and he didn't smile as much as he use to.

The welts on Storm's throat had gone down, now all that was left was a scar filled with painful memories.

Jess heard something crash, it sounded like breaking glass. She quickly walked toward the noise, Kobe came with her. In the kitchen they found Zan standing over the shattered pieces of a glass, "This sucks," he muttered and felt around blindly on the floor for the pieces.

Jess helped him, "You'll get use to it," she assured him, "Soon you'll be walking around freely again." Zan frowned, his blind eyes staring off into the distance, "Easy for you to say," he muttered and walked out of the room. His fingers brushed along the wall to guide him.

Kobe shook his head in disgust, "I hate this," he grumbled, "I'm going for a walk." He informed Jess and left Amber Base.

Kobe wandered aimlessly around the city, the sun was setting, casing everything in a faint orange glow.

Kobe heard a faint click from behind him, he whirled around and found himself staring at the tall walls of a brick building. The clicking sound was coming from inside. Kobe walked up to the window and peered inside, it was too dark to see.

Kobe looked around for a second and picked up a fist-sized rock, he shattered the window and slipped inside. The room he found himself in was dark and mold layered the walls, he was in the basement of a large office building. Empty boxes littered the floor, but apart from that the room was deathly empty.

Kobe began to sift through the boxes looking for the sound of the ever-present clicking. When he found what was causing it, he wished he hadn't.

Rath was there, he was leaning casually against the wall and clicking the blade of his knife against the brick. Kobe froze, maybe Rath hadn't seen him yet…too late. "Hello Regan." Rath crooned.

Chapter Two:

Kobe felt his stomach drop, "I was expecting you." Rath continued, "I wanted to propose a job position for you." The blade flashed as it tapped the wall, Kobe didn't move. "I've been looking for someone like you, someone with, what I consider, black blood. A need to kill? An urge to hunt?" Rath smiled under his mask as Kobe shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Don't try to hide it from me Regan," Rath said and began to tap the blade harder, "I know all your secrets. I know all of them, right down to what happened to your parents. I know your identity, I know your inner thoughts."

Kobe took a step back, nobody knew what had happened to his parents…nobody. "Your lying," Kobe hissed, he could acutely feel the healing scars that Rath had inflicted on him before.

Rath looked at him curiously, "Am I?" he asked, he stopped tapping the knife, "Your name is Regan Gunner. At the age of twelve you lived in the small town of Soot, a mining town far out in the middle of the Black Pine Forest."

Kobe was starting to sweat, how could he know this stuff? "A disease started spreading across the town, everyone who got it was instantly killed. But you lived…why? Because not long ago you were bitten by a wolf. Now stop me if I'm wrong. You have wolf blood in you, that's what Saber is. A mutant wolf."

Rath stopped and cracked his knuckles, "Your sister was killed by the disease, Kate Gunner was her name if I'm not mistaken. You wouldn't accept the fact of her death, and went into a frenzy. You lost control…"

Kobe began to shake, "Shut up," he hissed, "A lot of people died because of you." Rath went on, "Including your…" Kobe lunged at Rath, his blood boiling.

Rath leaped nimbly aside and Kobe crashed into the wall, "Get out of Amber City!" Kobe roared at Rath. Rath laughed hauntingly, "Amber City is my home now, Regan." Kobe threw a box at Rath and missed by six feet, "Stop calling me that!" Kobe bellowed.

Kobe was itching to just change into Saber and kill Rath, but he knew he couldn't. Rath had been right about one thing, it was very easy for Kobe to loose control. If he did, then all of Amber City would be in danger, Saber wasn't an easy creature to defeat.

Rath laughed and leaped nimbly over the boxes, "And you still can't accept the death of her by the looks of it." He said loudly.

Kobe snapped, with a monstrous roar he morphed into Saber and charged at Rath. His bulk sent the boxes flying as his claws scrapped the floor of the basement. Rath smiled with satisfaction as Saber charged toward him. In one quick movement, Rath was out the broken window and in seconds was swallowed up by the night.

Saber slammed into the window in a desperate attempt to follow, but he was too big to fit. Saber trembled with rage and roared after the fleeting image of Rath. With a mighty tug, Saber broke through the wall of brick and hurtled into the street.

But Rath was long gone. Gripped with rage, Saber ripped up a nearby fire hydrant and tore viciously at the street. Cars screeched to a sudden halt as Saber took his rage out on the streets.

Kobe struggled to stay under control but his rage was stronger…and he lost control. Saber's wild eyes darted around the street and rested on the late night pedestrians of Amber City. The people screamed as Saber ripped toward them, his jaws sprung open wide, ready to bite down on anyone who got close.

Something shifted in the air, the wind changed and a dark cloud covered the last rays of the setting sun. It was a small twister…made of sand.

Chapter Three:

Zan was sitting on a chair listening to music, usually he would have been watching T.V. but due to recent occurrences…that was impossible. There was a slight pause in the music as the song changed, that's when he heard it…footsteps.

Zan turned the music off and listened intently, when he lost his sight it had sharpened his other senses greatly. Sure enough, there were footsteps coming toward Amber Base. Jess entered the room, "Someone's at the door," Zan said, seconds later the doorbell rang.

Jess looked at Zan suspiciously, "Uh…okay, that was weird." Jess went over to the computer and brought up the security camera by the door. There was a slightly blurred figure standing there, but it wasn't an enemy so Jess opened the door.

Standing there was a young man, he was about 6 feet tall with tan skin and short black hair. His eyes were bright blue and he wore a bright smile on his face. "Hello!" he said brightly.

Jess was taken by surprise, "Uh…hello?" the man shook her hand vigorously, "You must be and Amber Force," he said peaking behind Jess's shoulder at Zan and Storm. "Yeah, who's asking?" Jess asked.

"Ah, forgive me, I have forgotten my manners." The man bowed deeply, "I am Sand King, the sandshifter of Boston." Jess smiled, "I'm Jess, this is Zan and Storm…uh, Kobe's out right now. Please, come in."

Sand King smiled widely and stepped inside, "I am actually just passing through. I got into a little scuffle back there and was wondering if you could offer some assistance." Jess hadn't noticed until now, but Sand King did indeed look as if he had just gotten out of a fight. There was also a long gash running down his arm.

"Your hurt," Jess said worriedly, "Um…I'm going to get some bandages. Storm, show Sand King to the infirmary I'll be right with you."

Storm led Sand King to the infirmary and let him sit in one of the chairs, "Your too kind." He said politely and looked at Zan curiously. Zan, of course, couldn't see him and just kept staring into space. "Is something wrong?" Sand King inquired. "Oh, no," Storm assured him, "He's blind…can't see a thing."

Zan stiffened, "Talk about straightforward." He grumbled and retreated to the far side of the room. Jess came in a minute later and patched Sand King's arm.

"Where were you fighting?" Jess asked, "Just a little ways away from here," Sand King said, "Nasty brute of a monster was ripping up one of the streets, just thought I would set him right."

Jess furrowed her brow, "I wonder why it didn't come up on the radar," she said partly to herself. Sand King began to wander around the room, "No need to worry," he said lightly, "Let's just say that I totally kicked his butt."

Storm tapped his bandaged arm, "It looks like he took a bite out of you also," she said. Sand King frowned, "Ah, yes. But he was the one that walked away with the most scars. Trust me, that beast will be dead by tomorrow."

Jess looked anxiously out the window, "When do you think Kobe will be back," she asked. "He should be home soon," Zan said. "Hey, Sand King," Jess asked, "Did you happen to see a darkish figure with black spiked hair walking around." Sand King shook his head. "Well, what about a big monstrous…" the words faded on her lips.

"Is something wrong?" Sand King asked, Jess swallowed the lump in her throat, "Um…that thing you happened to fight, what did it look like?" Sand King thought for a minute, "Well, he was all black and looked rather like a huge mutant wolf. Oh, and there was a silver spiked collar around its neck."

Jess stared at him in disbelief, "I can't be," Zan faltered. "What?" Sand King asked, Jess closed her eyes, "Kobe." She whispered.

Chapter Four:

Jess ran widely down the ripped up street, her feet slammed into the ground as she pushed her legs faster. She had left Zan and Sand King back at Amber Base because Zan couldn't see and Sand King was hurt. Storm ran hard on her heels, the two darted across the torn pavement quickly.

Jess breached a massive crater in the street and stopped short. In the center of the crater was the still form of Saber. His skin was cut everywhere and he was half buried in sand, blood trickled out of his mouth and his eyes were closed.

Jess slid down the crater's steep side, oblivious to Storm who scrambled down beside her. Jess patted Saber's side softly, "Kobe?" she whispered into his ear. Saber's eyes opened a crack, "We have to get him back to Amber Base," Jess said and pushed at Saber's side. The gigantic beast didn't budge one bit, "He's too big!" Storm exclaimed and dug frantically at the sand surrounding him.

"Kobe," Jess said and leaned down by Saber's head, "You have to morph back, we can't move you." Saber didn't move, "Please," Jess pleaded, "Kobe, if you don't, you'll die." Saber shifted slightly, but his sand cage held him tight. Then Saber began to shrink back until it was not Saber that was trapped in the sand, but Kobe.

Jess tugged at Kobe's arm until he was free from his sand prison, "Come on Kobe," Jess whispered and shook him lightly, "Wake up." Kobe didn't move.

"Storm," Jess said, "Help me, we have to get him back…fast."

Sand King flinched when he saw Kobe, "You're telling me that this beast is part of your team?" he said, distaste was clear in his voice. "Don't call him that, Kobe isn't a beast!" Jess said angrily and wrapped Kobe's bleeding head in a bandage. Kobe hadn't moved since Jess and Storm had brought him back to Amber Base, he was flat out unconscious.

"He is a monster…nothing more, nothing less." Sand King said stubbornly. Storm pushed him roughly out of the way and handed Jess more bandages, "Kobe is a part of our team." She said tightly. "Nothing more, nothing less," Zan added.

"Honestly," Sand King said, "I thought you guys were smarter than that. This monster was on the brink of killing innocent people." Jess shook her head, "Kobe would never do that."

Sand King glared at her, "Maybe Kobe wouldn't…but Saber would." Jess stopped short, "When I found him, he was in a complete frenzy. Blind to everything but his rage. I'm telling you, no matter how he acts when he's Kobe, it won't change who Saber is. He is a danger to your team, and to all of Amber City."

Jess stared at Kobe's still face, suddenly he didn't look like the person she was use to seeing…he looked deadly. "I…" she faltered, "I'm not sure…"

Sand King put his hand on her shoulder, "He's a monster," he whispered. Jess shivered, "What do I do?" she asked. Sand King looked her right in the eye, "You can banish him, and make him leave, or get rid of him for good…you can kill him."


End file.
